Petraeus Resigns Due to Extramarital Affair

CIA Director David H. Petraeus has resigned, bringing a surprisingly abrupt end to his brief tenure at the agency as well as his decorated career in national security.

Petraeus met with President Obama on Thursday indicating that he was stepping down because of an extramarital affair. Obama accepted the resignation offer on Friday.

“After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair,” Petraeus said in a statement distributed to the CIA workforce on Friday. “Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours. This afternoon, the President graciously accepted my resignation.”

The sudden departure created immediate turmoil in the Obama administration’s national security team just days after Obama won reelection. That team is expected to see a series of changes, but Petraeus, who took the director’s position only 14 months ago, had been expected by many to stay.

In a statement, Obama said Petraeus has “provided extraordinary service to the United States for decades,” adding that “through his lifetime of service David Petraeus has made our country safer and stronger.”